Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Wyatt's mag box for VLDs

Recently had a Wyatt's extended magazine box installed in one of my 308s. My goal was to be able to magazine load rounds with the 208 AMax loaded long.

Installation requires opening up the aft end of the magazine mortise in the receiver, and modifying the boltstop for longer bolt travel.

This pic shows before (bottom), and after (top) of the milling typically required in a Rem 700.


Bolt stop mod,


I had the install done in Helena at Capital Sports. Price was a reasonable $60 for the labor.

When I got it home I discovered I needed to massage the feed rails just a touch to let them release the longer ammo a bit sooner. Just a couple light swipes with a file and a stone to smooth it up.


The magazine box has internal length of 2.99". I discovered it will also hold two rounds down even loaded at 3.08", and feed fine.

Here are a few more pics.

308 rounds loaded with 208 AMax. OAL 2.81", 2.98", and 3.08". Quickload says useable case volume is 44.7gr, 47.9gr, and 49.7gr, respectively. That's over a 10% increase in useable volume at 3.08".


Bolt at full rearward travel,


Four down at 2.98",


Two down at 3.08"

Thx 4 sharing, good stuff.

Side note, those cases are really scraped up.

Dober

I need to get a short action 700 in left hand. I have plans to build a 6 BR on one someday. Got a beater laying around Shane?

LOL, I thought the same thing when I looked at the pic.

Those cases are just dummy loads. I kinda put them through the wars, getting the feedrails right.

The rig isn't that hard on the brass.

Sorry, no extra beater here....grin.

6BR is a pretty neat little round though.

I figured it was something like that...grin

Shoot straight my friend and have a super Christmas!

Dober

You too!

AND, that is why you can shoot the VLD's in the 6.5x284 in a short 700 action.

QL indicates an increase of 50 fps from 2550 to 2600 using RL17 and moly 208's, less with naked 208's, are these the results you found?

You can count me as a fan too. Have the Wyatt box on my Stiller Predator .260. Initially had some feeding problems that at least in part, came down to operator error. First I had the magazine spring installed upside down. Who knew the things actually have a top and a bottom? The next part was the bolt tended to ride over the heel of the cartridge, not picking them up. On the advice of the guys at Stiller, I tweaked the magazine spring, bending it up so the heel of the follower rode higher and now it feeds like a dream.

Lest anyone think the Wyatt box was the issue, before I took the corrective actions with the Wyatt box, I tried a factory Remington box and got the exact same results. Now the Wyatts feeds as well as any SA 700 I have ever had and the extra length with the VLDs is very much appreciated. Nice to be able to reach the lands with VLDs loaded to magazine length.

John

Any trouble with the back of the follower hitting on the Bottom metal when fully loaded. This happens on my predator wsm giving me only 2 down. I have another Wyatt's for my 308 but haven't put it all together yet so I don't know how it'll work.

Bb

Not that I have detected. In my .260, I can get four down with PT&G bottom metal, but it is a tight fit.

John

I looked on Wyatt's webpage and saw where they machine an angle into the bottom metal when needed so the follower will not hang up on the 'step'. I did a little light work with the dremel to take the step off and all is fine.

I had this issue with my newest 308. I cured that by removing the issued magazine box and spreading the top wider open at the rear. Not the lips, but the whole of the magazine. I had to squeeze it together to fit it into the magazine mortise, then it's own spring tension spread it outboard for a snug fit in the mortise. Then it fed 100%.

Shane, why did you go with the Wyatt cut and box over an AICS system/mag and feed ramp notch?

Reading Shane's posts can be expensive.


Travis

Indeed. I'm hunting for some 208s now, too...

The AICS system would be nice.

I suppose the fact that I went in for expensive Badger Ord M4 bottom metal long before all the DBM options were available is the biggest reason.

And now I'm not willing to spend on a DBM system that I really don't need.

I'll tell you, I've really gotten to the point that I prefer to spend my loot on bullets and powder, than upgrades on rifles. Most of my $$$ stuff is 8-10 years old, but I made choices that I'm still happy with.

I had enough "extra parts" to kit out the newer 308 with all the goodies from McM, Badger, etc. It was a crime to have over $1000 in quality upgrade parts gathering dust in a box, when all they needed was an SPS Varmint to get them in use.

It seems there is always something newer, and a little more "high speed" every year. I guess I'm getting older, because I can see and appreciate the newer stuff, but don't lay awake at night thinking about having it......grin

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